The National tribune., 1887-02-03
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
SCRUB CATTLE.

SCRUB CATTLE
The common term scrub cattle" that is
applied without reserve or distinction to all
the common stock not thoroughbred or crossed
with pure blood is unjust, foolish and dis
honest. 1t is unjust, because these cattle are
not deserving of this term of reproaeh, and are
really as productive and valuable for use as the
majority of purebred stock, and being most
excellent and indispensable material for cross
ing with pure stock, which finds in this way its
most valuable and useful purpose, our native
cattle-so called-are necessary in every way,
and could not possibly BIO dispensed with. 1t
is poor practice to abuse what we cannot get
along without, and hence this derogatory term
applied to our common stock, which numbers
80 per cent Of our herds, is foolish. 1t is dis
honest, too, because it is used for the purpose of
boosting up the purebred stock-so called
without reference to its quality, and which has
many wretched scrubs among its pedigreed
animals, and for creating popular impression
in favor of herd-boOk stock, which is intended
to unduly enhance its money value.
Farmers should not be misled by these eff
forts to neglect their native stock and to be-
lieve that they are worthless. There is not
much danger of it, but it has been done to the
great loss of many inexperienced beginners in
farming, who have been made to suppose that
no animal is worth its salt unless its name and
pedigree have been recorded in a herd book.
What are these herd book purebred stock
Simply the progeny Of the best of the common
stock Of century ago, selected and bred and
fed highly, and trained and developed by tho
utmost skill of experienced st0ckmen for
long series of generations, until the results of
this care and skill were fixed upon the race
thus formed. Necessarily the animals so bred
have great value for breeding purposes and
for perpetuating their good qualities upon the
progeny of the common stock inter-bred with
them. They are necessarily more costly, and
at present form so small minority Of the cat
tie in existence that not one farmer in 100
could be supplied, were but one single animal
apportioned 10 each. Hence the foolish outery
against our native stock is most inconsistent
and unwise and farmers should on the other
hand, be encouraged to improve their cattle by
constant selection of the best breeders-a pure
one if pOssible-and to rear and caro- for them
in the most intelligent and aSsiduOus manner
NeD York Weekly Times.
WINTER QUARTERS FOR FOWLS
To induce fowls to take kindly to their
winter quarters il is recommended TO call and
feed them there nightly, carrying galvanized
or other pail that will DO quickly recognized
correspondent of the Canadian Poultry RerieU
tells that by little coaxing and feeding chicks
may be induced to make the exchange from
coop to house, and in short time they were on
the rOost beside the hen, and adds: Now that
We are having a cold wet night occasionally
they are all safely housed while formerly, at
this season, q big job presented itself in the
shape Of coaxing the chicks into the houses
from the coops. When coops were removed and
hen-house doors left open, they would buddet to-
gether in a lump in the middle of an orchard
before they would 90 into the house. Beside
this, by taking out sash and leaving doors
open during hot weather, they can be kept
cooler than they can possibly be in any coop.
For feeding, the writer uses, during the first
four or six weeks eornmeal and wheatmeal
mixed, half and half, and baked, after which
whole wheat almost exclusively. And though
the growth has not been so rapid as other
years, when fed on variety of grain ground
and baked, yet he has never had more lively
and healthy chicks.
NOTES.
Be sure to keep your dishcloth clean, as
some physicians claim diphtheria will start
from using greasy dishcloths.-Troy Times
- For a simple but excellent eye water take
a teaSpoonful each of table salt, sugar and
burned cOpperas. Add pint of boiling water.
When cool, drain oil and it is ready for USE
Toledo Blade.
= For delicious dish of apples take two
pounds of apples, pare and core them, slice
them into pan, add one pound of loaf sugar
aud the juice of three lemons let them boil
about two hours, turn into 4 dish and serve
with thick cream.-BOsiOH Budget.
Among the first crops which can be put
out on the opening of Spring are early peas.
Sown four inches deep, as they should be, q
pretty sharp freeze after planting will do them
no harm. Preparing the ground in the Fall
will facilitate the work, rs before the ground is
dry enough TO pillow well in the Spring tho peas
may be sprOuted or up even. The soil should
be well enriched, and left in ridges, in which
condition il will dry quicker ClereldHd Leader.
We know OF no good reason why every
garden should not have bed of asparagus. and
a large one, too. Once planted in good garden
soil, and the crop is certain for many years to
come. The most suitable soil is deep. light
loan, and it should be underdrained. What
ever labor and outlay is put into its prep
aration TO have il deeply worked and MANFRED
will be returned again 10 the doer, and with
high rate Of interest The more manure the
greater the product; at the rate OF 80 two-horse
loads to the acre would be the right thing
Rural Neg Yorker.